Mr. Irrelevant
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"Mr. Irrelevant" is the tongue-in-cheek title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft.
The name arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California. During the summer after the NFL draft, the current Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a weekend in Newport, where they are treated to, among other things, a roast giving advice to the new draftee and a ceremony awarding him the aptly named Lowsman Trophy. Salata makes an appearance at the final day of the NFL Draft to announce the final draft pick, which he has done for several years.
Several players who have been presented with this dubious honor have nevertheless succeeded in making the team that drafted them, with significant contributions on the field. Bill Kenney, who won the 1978 Mr. Irrelevant award under special circumstances (see below), was even honored with an invitation to the Pro Bowl in 1983. Special-teams player Marty Moore became the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl, with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Jim Finn was the starting fullback for the New York Giants. Mike Green has been a starting safety for the Bears and Seahawks, and is currently a backup for the Redskins.
One "Mr. Irrelevant" (who actually predated the award by nearly a decade) went on to a productive professional career in another sport. Jimmy Walker was the final pick in 1967 despite never having played college football. His main sport, however, was basketball, in which he was a consensus All-American and the nation's leading scorer as a senior at Providence. Walker was the first overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft, and logically opted for a career in the NBA.[1]
The Lowsman Trophy
The Lowsman Trophy is awarded annually to the last player selected in the NFL draft. It is a parody of the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the outstanding college American football player of the year. The Lowsman Trophy itself mimics the Heisman, but depicts a football player fumbling a football.
The award ceremony is part of Irrelevant Week, an annual week-long celebration in Newport Beach, California. The award was created in 1976 by Paul Salata, a former college player and self-confessed "fan of the underdog" and has been held on an annual basis ever since. Other events of Irrelevant Week include a golf tournament, a regatta and a sports banquet. The recipient of the Lowsman Trophy is designated "Mr. Irrelevant."
Many Mr. Irrelevants have turned up to collect their trophy, and to be feted for the week as the focus of the celebration.
The first Mr. Irrelevant was Kelvin Kirk, picked number 487 of the 1976 draft. The most recent Mr. Irrelevant was David Vobora of Idaho, pick number 252 of the 2008 draft. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams. Vobora even started a game in his first season, in week 13 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Mr. Irrelevant winners and other final selections
Notes
- ^ May, Peter (2007-07-03). "Providence hoops legend Jimmy Walker dies at 63". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ There were two awardees, as Scanlon chose to play in the Canadian Football League and McGriff was named as a replacement.
- ^ Two Mr. Irrelevants resulted because original selection Washburn could not attend training camp because of a back injury. Kenney was named as a replacement as a result.